Tourists wishing to visit Venice will have to pay a fee of 5 euros from today, the world agencies report. The trial initiative is an attempt to discourage tourists visiting the city for just one day at peak times.
The fee will be paid to enter the city between 08:30 and 16:00, but does not apply to residents of the Veneto region, people who work, study or were born in Venice, and tourists who have booked overnight stays. Children under 14 are also exempt from the fee, and in some cases an exemption will be allowed against a voucher.
The trial period of the scheme will initially run until May 5 and then almost every weekend until mid-July, for a total of 29 days this year. A decision will then be made by the end of the year whether to make the scheme permanent. The influx of visitors from all over the world brings a lot of money to the “hot” tourist destinations. For some time, however, mass tourism has been creating problems for Venice – one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, notes BTA.
The historic center, with its famous St. Mark’s Square, Rialto Bridge and numerous canals, now has less than 50,000 permanent residents, and at the height of the season on some days there are at least twice as many tourists.
According to estimates, the city was visited by around 15 million people last year.
Failure to pay the entrance ticket can result in a fine of 50 to 300 euros. According to city officials, the proceeds will be used to renovate canals, roads and buildings.
